The 2009 Red Dress Collection for Heart Health

"Being healthy never goes out of style," said Tim Gunn, the popular host of "Project Runway," as he opened the 2009 Heart Truth Red Dress Collection fashion show in New York City. This spring, the annual event featured 20 celebrities wearing red designer dresses to raise awareness of The Heart Truth, a campaign sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute that educates women about heart health. "The red dress is a sexy, passionate, and powerful symbol," said Gunn, explaining why it was chosen as the emblem of heart disease awareness in women back in 2002.

Share the Message With Friends

Jennie Garth in Badgley Mischka and Tori Spelling in Betsey Johnson

One in three women underestimates her risk for heart disease, yet one in four will die of the disease. The purpose of The Heart Truth campaign is to educate women about their own risks for this preventable killer and to encourage them to share the message with family and friends.

Lower Your Risk Factors

Lynda Carter in Carolina Herrera

TV's "Wonder Woman," Lynda Carter, stole the show by singing and dancing down the runway to "When You're Good to Mama" from the musical, "Chicago." Still in enviable shape, the 57-year-old knows that regular exercise, a heart-healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and refraining from smoking can help women lower their heart disease risk by as much as 82 percent.

Know Your Numbers

Daisy Fuentes in Pamella Roland

Daisy Fuentes wants Latinas to be extra vigilant about monitoring their risk factors for heart disease, as Latina women have a higher risk of developing diabetes and being overweight or obese, and they are often less physically active. In addition to blood sugar levels (an indicator of diabetes risk) and body mass index, all women should keep track of their waist circumference measurement, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

Race Plays a Role

Nia Long in Tracy Reese

Like Latinas, African-American women are at greater risk for heart disease and also for certain risk factors for the disease, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity and being overweight. About 37 percent of African-American women have high blood pressure, nearly 50 percent have high cholesterol, and nearly 80 percent are overweight or obese. Making matters worse, one in five African-American women smokes. However, by eating right, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking, that added risk can be reduced. Quitting smoking alone will decrease a woman's risk of heart disease by half in only a year's time.

Risk Factors Beyond Your Control

Kristi Yamaguchi in Vera Wang

While women can take an active part in improving their heart health, there are two risk factors that are beyond their control: family history and age. Even someone as seemingly fit as Olympic gold medalist and "Dancing With the Stars" winner Kristi Yamaguchi would need to be extra cautious if she has a family history of heart disease and once she reaches age 55. That's because after a woman goes through menopause, her body decreases production of heart-healthy estrogen, which makes her more likely to develop heart disease.

A Heart-Healthy Diet Is Essential

Nastia Liukin Max Azria

Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast Nastia Liukin surely appreciates the value of eating right. A heart-healthy diet includes plentiful servings of colorful fruits and veggies, whole grains like high-fiber cereals and breads, and plenty of omega-3-rich fish such as salmon, trout, and herring. These foods help to keep cholesterol and blood pressure in check and are good for a healthy body in general.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Valerie Bertinelli in Christian Siriano

Diet spokeswoman Valerie Bertenelli not only lost 40 pounds and a few dress sizes through her well-publicized weight loss efforts, she also lowered her risk for heart disease. Her healthy habits have rubbed off on her loved ones: Valerie's mother, who recently had open-heart surgery, is recovering speedily — thanks to her own 50-pound weight loss and the regular workouts that are now part of her exercise program.

Reduce Stress

Katie Couric in Carmen Marc Valvo

Katie Couric, anchor of the "CBS Evening News," was the final celebrity to walk the star-studded runway. Couric's demanding schedule surely increases her stress levels, and stress is an additional factor that can increase a woman's risk of heart disease. Whenever you feel stressed out, try to do things that relax you, such as spend time with family or friends, practice yoga, write in a journal, read, garden, or knit.

Spread the Word About Heart Health

The Red Dress Collection runway show

The goal of The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection is to give women a personal and urgent wake-up call about their risk of heart disease. The Red Dress symbol reminds women of the need to protect their heart health and inspires them to take action. Now that you know how to get a better grip on the risk factors you can control — diet, physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking — start spreading the word to all of the women in your life. Every woman deserves a healthy heart.

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